The Stockton Market takes place on High Street on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. More than 100 independent stalls offer a wide range of quality goods and fresh produce; numbers and offerings may vary. The market is also known as “The Queen of the North”. Traditional markets in Stockton-on-Tees have been bringing visitors to town centres for more than 700 years, so the Stockton Market brings together a long market history and a diverse range of goods.
Museums and Local History
Preston Park Museum displays collections on social and industrial history, costumes, weapons and armour, as well as paintings and decorative art, across four themed galleries. Individual exhibitions may change. The Preston Park Museum and Grounds site also includes a recreated Victorian street for visitors. Outside, walks through woodland and riverside landscapes offer a different perspective on the grounds. Preston Park Museum also runs the recurring ParkMade programme throughout the year, with workshops on traditional crafts; individual workshops may change.
The Stockton Flyer offers another link to industrial history: the automated mechanical sculpture was commissioned by Stockton Borough Council in 2013 to celebrate the town’s railway and industrial heritage. It appears daily at 1pm behind Stockton Town Hall. As the daily schedule may change, it is advisable to check the time before visiting.
Stages, Film and Festival
The free Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) takes place every year in early August. The festival focuses on outdoor arts and street theatre; its programme also includes dance, circus and music. Individual programme events vary. Cultural venues offer a range of other formats throughout the year: ARC has a music programme featuring rock, pop, soul, jazz, folk and indie. Its cinema programme includes mainstream, arthouse, independent and world cinema, as well as screenings of ballet and opera productions; individual screenings and events vary.
The Stockton Globe is a Grade II listed Art Deco theatre. ATG Entertainment positions it as a flagship UK venue for music and comedy. The venues therefore have distinct profiles: alongside music, ARC offers film formats and screenings, while the Stockton Globe is positioned as a venue for music and comedy.
Landscapes, Trails and Parks
River and wetland restoration at Billingham Beck Valley Country Park was completed in 2024–25. It improved biodiversity and water quality and reconnected the stream with its natural floodplain. A historic weir was removed as part of the work, reopening around 55 kilometres of upstream habitat for fish migration. The work also included new and renewed footpaths, improved drainage, and new steps, benches and gates.
Wynyard Woodland Park stretches for more than three miles from the edge of Thorpe Thewles to Tilery Wood near Wynyard and has more than ten miles of paths. Its main cycle path forms part of National Cycle Network Route 1. Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory is also located in the park. The information about the park’s extent, its paths and the cycle route describes different aspects of the site.
The Victorian splendour of Ropner Park has been fully restored. Walks lead along the lake shore and tree-lined avenues. Friends of Ropner Park organise concerts at the bandstand and other events; dates may vary.
The Cowpen Bewley Heritage Trail offers a glimpse of the medieval open fields and the Old School House, built in 1874. Cowpen Bewley Woodland Country Park presents a different landscape: it includes woodland, ponds, a lake, a meadow and hills. A stream runs along its boundary, providing a suitable habitat for waterbirds, dragonflies, hares and foxes.
Discover more destinations
Yarm, Thornaby On Tees, Stockton-On-Tees, Longnewton, Wolviston, Tyne And Wear, Durham, Gateshead.
For the main travel overview: North East England.
